Academic Advising Welcome

Welcome to Sacred Heart Academy’s Academic Advising Office! As students enter the secondary building each year, my goal is to have them increasingly develop goals and outlooks for their future after high school. While it may not be obvious, we have students who pursue a variety of educational pathways both while at SHA and beyond. My job is to help guide and provide information for students to decide which college/career goal is the best fit for their interests, skill sets, and the future lifestyle they would like to enjoy.

I want to emphasize that the definition of college has evolved over time, so that when I use the term “college” I am actually referring to post-secondary educational training. Having every student pursue training beyond a high school diploma is not only an objective we want our students to reach, but it is also imperative to obtain a sustainable job in our 21st century economy. Post-secondary educational training can assume a number of forms including attending a two or four-year college/university to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and potentially an advanced degree. It can also mean completing a vocational course of study, certificate program, apprenticeship, or military service agreement. We have graduates who have chosen to pursue each one of these career routes successfully. My hope is for every student who leaves SHA to be prepared to choose and complete the right pathway, so they may become positive contributors to their parish and local communities.

Please take the time to read through the different links and resources available on these Academic Advising pages that explore standardized testing, applying to college, dual enrollment, and more. If students and parents would like to meet with me to discuss college and career planning, please contact me at mrichards@gafe.sha.net or 989-772-1457. I look forward to assisting all of our students as they navigate through this process.